Pickled Sliced Beets On the 21st of March, Lakeside Incorporated announced a product recall for some brands of its pickled sliced beets. The reason for the recall is a possible bacterial contamination due to possible under-processing of the beets. The recall was done with the FDA’s knowledge and Lakeside distributors have already been informed of the recall.

The company initiated recall affects 3000 cases of canned and pickled beets. Each can has a net weight of 105 ounces. The affected brands include Code Elite, Lakeside, Nugget Black, Sysco Classic, Bountiful Harvest, Comsource Medal, Monarch and Restaurant Pride. The recalled products have the codes EFBB229/003047 and EFBB229/003034 printed on the cans.

Under processing of food can lead to bacterial contamination. One of the most common food contaminants is the bacteria Clostridium botulin which is suspected to have contaminated the pickled beet products. The bacteria can cause botulism in humans which is a serious kind of food poisoning and can cause death in the worst cases. Most common symptoms of this infection include dizziness, difficulty in swallowing or speaking, weakness and double vision. Other symptoms include muscle weakness, constipation, and trouble breathing.

The recalled product has been distributed in the areas of Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Alaska, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Wisconsin.

Lakeside emphasized that there are no other affected products aside from the pickled sliced beets that were sold under the given brands and that only 3000 cases are affected. Customers who were able to buy the product are advised to not open them and instead return them to the store for a full refund. For customers who have related questions, they can call Lakeside Incorporated at 1 800-466-3834 at ext. 4090. Information about the recalled product will be posted on www.lakesidefoods.com.